Ken Herceg & Associates, Inc. was in process of restoring the interior of the 1855 Courthouse when it was decided that this courthouse would become part of the St. Joseph County Complex. This complex includes the adjacent 1896 courthouse and the 14-story County / City Building. The entire complex was to be tied together by the existing tunnel system.

We designed a self-contained chiller unit for the exterior of the courthouse. This system takes advantages of less expensive off-peak hours to chill a water solution. This solution is stored in the underground storage tanks overnight and in the morning, the chilled water solution cools both the 1855, and the 1896 courthouses. This allowed the 1855 Courthouse to be tied in with the entire complex chilled water system without the need to add an additional chiller inside. The chillers are hidden in plain sight. A brick wall blending with the original foundation (pictured bottom right) provides a visual screen from mechanical equipment. Also, an urban green-space with vegetation and hardscaping adds beauty to ordinarily unattractive equipment, as well as, a great place for an outdoor lunch.

Project Location: South Bend, IN

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